This invention relates to hard surface cleaning compositions having improved soil removal capabilities. More particularly, this invention relates to built hard surface cleaning compositions having low levels of surfactant in combination with low levels of the mixture of certain primary polymeric materials with polysaccharide salts.
Hard surface cleaning compositions are a class of detergent compositions adapted to meet the variety of requirements necessary for overall optimum performance in hard surface cleaning usage. Examples of such hard surface cleaning compositions appear in U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,646, issued Dec. 14, 1965 to McKenna et al, and entitled "DRY FREE-FLOWING DETERGENT COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF PREPARATION" and U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,509, issued July 6, 1971 to Parks et al, and entitled "LIQUID HARD SURFACE CLEANING COMPOSITIONS".
Generally, granular hard surface cleaning compositions contain less than 5% by weight surfactant (often considerably less) and often have very high levels of organic and inorganic builders. Liquid hard surface cleaning compositions generally contain from about 0.05% to about 15% surfactant, by weight with up to 25% builders. Hard surface cleaning compositions are formulated in this way for a number of reasons related to the unique performance requirements involved in hard surface cleaning.
For example, hard surface cleaning compositions must possess the capability of removing highly substantive soils from many different types of hard surfaces without damage to the surface or danger to the user. Moreover, these compositions should not leave streaks or noticeable film on the surface after the soil is removed. Still further, the compositions must not produce excessive foam in use since foam can be time and effort consuming to remove. Even further such compositions must be stable over a relatively long period of time and under a variety of conditions including temperature and humidity changes. In short, realization of optimum hard surface cleaning compositions has required extensive and inventive efforts to provide maximum cleaning efficacy within the constraints of economically suitable and conveniently employed, finished end products.
Co-pending application Ser. No. 559,460, filed on even date herewith by Claybaugh (P&G Attorney Docket No. 2187) entitled "HARD SURFACE CLEANING COMPOSITIONS" incorporated herein by reference, describes granular hard surface cleaning compositions containing certain of the polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl pyrrolidone polymeric materials which are also useful herein. The invention herein is directed to the further inclusion of certain polysaccharide materials into liquid or granular hard surface cleaning compositions.
Polymers including polysaccharides have been used for a variety of purposes in detergents. Examples of such uses are disclosed in british Patent Specification 994,353, issued June 2, 1965 to Domestos, and entitled "IMPROVEMENTS IN DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS"; U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,047 issued July 2, 1957 to Touey et al and entitled "DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS FOR LAUNDERING TEXTILE FABRICS, CONTAINING A COPOLYMER OF A LOWER N-ALKYL ACRYLAMIDE AND VINYL ALCOHOL"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,324, issued Nov. 5, 1974 to Lohmann et al, and entitled "DETERGENTS"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,352, issued July 11, 1972 to Grimm et al, and entitled "PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ENZYME AND PERBORATE CONTAINING DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,499, issued Jan. 26, 1971 to Galvin et al, and entitled "ANTI-REDEPOSITION AGENTS;" and South African Application 72/2050, filed Mar. 27, 1972 by Hampson et al, and entitled "LIQUID COMPOSITIONS."
Although, as such references demonstrate, polymers have been used in detergents for a variety of purposes, it is believed that the beneficial use of the combination of certain primary polymeric materials with polysaccharide salts according to the present invention has not heretofore been recognized.
Surprisingly, it has been discovered that these materials can provide improved soil removal when incorporated into hard surface cleaning compositions and, furthermore, can be used to encapsulate and protect unstable and/or volatile detergent adjuvants within the hard surface cleaning composition.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide improved hard surface cleaning compositions through the beneficial use of certain polymeric materials with polysaccharide salt materials.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve soil removal capabilities of hard surface cleaning compositions.
It is still a further object of the instant invention to incorporate into hard surface cleaning compositions a combination of materials which serves both to improve soil removal capabilities of the compositions and to usefully encapsulate and preserve detergent composition adjuvants within the hard surface cleaning products.
These and other objects are achieved as hereinafter disclosed.